My Thoughts on Straw (6/10) ((SPOILER ALERT))
I’m giving Straw a 6 out of 10. I’m not usually a fan of Tyler Perry’s recent TV shows—mostly because of the bad acting and weak dialogue—but I decided to give this movie a chance since Taraji P. Henson and Teyana Taylor were in it. I figured, at the very least, the acting would be solid—and those ladies did not disappoint.
Taraji really delivered. Her performance was powerful and relatable. As a single mother myself, I found myself in tears watching some of her struggles. When she said she has nobody and everything is on her, that hit so deep. I know that pain. Taraji brought so much authenticity to the role. If you’re a single mother too and you just want to feel seen, watch this movie for a good cry.
Now, here’s where the movie lost me a bit:
It felt like way too much happened in the first 15 minutes. It opens with Taraji holding her baby, having just left the hospital the night before. The very next morning, she’s:
• Rushing to get her daughter ready for school
• Bathing her (even though the daughter doesn’t want to)
• Being asked for lunch money—even though it’s clear she doesn’t have it to give—and I know that pressure as a single mom
• Hearing that her daughter is being bullied at school (even by the teacher) for not having lunch
• Getting threatened with eviction by the leasing manager who tells her her stuff will be out on the street if she doesn’t pay rent by a certain time
Then she drops her daughter off, rushes to work, and deals with a manager who’s a total jerk and completely insensitive to her situation. She gets a call from the school, runs back, and finds out they’re trying to take her child—saying she’s an unfit mother because her daughter said she’s hungry.
To make things worse, a cop runs her off the road and her car gets impounded. When she finally makes it back to work, her boss fires her and withholds her paycheck. Then, she ends up unintentionally robbing a bank. A few things happen in between, but that’s pretty much the first 15–20 minutes.
Here’s my issue:
The movie starts off packed with intensity—and then basically parks in the lot of that one bank for the rest of the film. It made me wonder… did the budget run out? Maybe hiring stars like Taraji and Teyana took up most of the money, and that’s why the movie stays in one spot?
That felt off to me. I would’ve loved to get to know Taraji’s character and her daughter a bit more. Maybe some backstory on the officers or even the women inside the bank. Notice I keep saying “Taraji”—because I genuinely don’t remember her character’s name… or anyone’s name. That’s how thin the character development felt outside of her and Teyana.
And then— the twist.
At the end, it turns out everything we just watched was all in Taraji’s head. She had mentally snapped. Her daughter had actually died the night before in the hospital, and everything that followed was a grief-fueled delusion.
That twist didn’t sit right with me. It felt like it erased the entire purpose and power of the movie. If you really think about it—everything she went through was imagined. She wouldn’t have lost her job, her car, or robbed a bank if she hadn’t convinced herself her daughter was still alive. It made all the struggle feel meaningless.
Honestly, I think the movie would’ve been better if the daughter had stayed alive.
Here’s the ending I would’ve liked to see:
Maybe Taraji didn’t kill her boss, or even if she did (and I wouldn’t have been mad at her for it because he was awful), there were no cameras and Teyana’s character could’ve looked out and pinned it on the robber—lol. That way, Taraji could’ve reunited with her daughter. Even if it was after a little jail time, at least there would’ve been some healing.
The woman from the bank could’ve helped watch her daughter in the meantime.
And since the cop literally ran her off the road—why not have her win a settlement? She could’ve used that to finally afford her daughter’s medicine, maybe even buy the grocery store she worked at. Teyana becomes her new bestie and honorary aunty, and the woman from the bank helps her make smart money decisions. Show some unity in the Black community.
Now that would’ve been an uplifting ending. Still real, still painful—but with some healing and hope after all that trauma.
You know how some movies just hit you with so much, so fast? That's exactly how 'Tyler Perry's Straw' felt in the beginning. It was like a whirlwind of every possible struggle a single mom could face, all packed into a few intense minutes. While it certainly grabbed my attention, I couldn't help but wonder if it was a bit too much, too soon. It almost felt like a checklist of trauma, rather than a gradual build-up of a character's world. This intense opening, featuring Taraji P. Henson's character already struggling with eviction, a sick child (as glimpsed on the movie poster with her holding a child, sometimes with a distressed expression), and job loss, set an incredibly high bar for emotional intensity that the rest of the film struggled to maintain. And speaking of the rest of the film, let's talk about Tyler Perry's storytelling structure, especially that ending. Usually, in his films, even when characters face immense hardship, there's often a glimmer of hope, a journey towards a redemption arc, or at least a tangible resolution. But 'Straw' took a wildly different path. The twist, revealing it was all a grief-fueled delusion after her baby died, completely upended any sense of progress or triumph. For me, it felt like it cheapened the very real struggles she was going through, turning them into a tragic mental break rather than a battle she could potentially win or learn from. It made me question if the narrative was truly about a single mother's fight or simply a psychological exploration of extreme grief, which, while powerful, wasn't what I was expecting from the setup. It leaves you wondering what the true 'lesson' or 'redemption' is when the entire reality presented was false. Despite my frustrations with the plot, Taraji P. Henson truly is the standout. Her ability to convey raw emotion, whether she's holding a child with a distressed expression or confronting her boss, is simply unmatched. If you're searching for compelling Taraji P. Henson performances, 'Straw' certainly delivers on her acting prowess, even if the script falters. She reminds me of her incredible roles in 'Empire,' 'Hidden Figures,' or even 'Acrimony' – she consistently embodies strong, complex women facing immense pressure. It's her captivating presence that makes 'Straw' watchable, making you invest in her character's plight, even when the story pulls the rug out from under you. She truly carries the film, showcasing why she's one of Hollywood's most formidable talents. Ultimately, while 'Tyler Perry's Straw' on Netflix offers a truly remarkable performance from Taraji P. Henson, its narrative choices, particularly the controversial ending, make it a divisive watch. As someone who deeply connected with the initial portrayal of a single mother's relentless struggle, I craved a more grounded, perhaps even bittersweet, resolution with a clearer redemption arc, rather than one that negates the journey entirely. It left me reflecting on what stories truly serve to empower and validate experiences, and which ones opt for shock value over lasting emotional impact. It’s a movie that certainly sparks conversation, but perhaps not always the kind of empowering dialogue I hope for from stories centered on such resilient characters.